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THTC / Separate Radio Teleswitch and Meter- Can I get a smart meter?

lyeuhm
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Hoping someone here can help because this has been an on-going battle since before OVO took over SSE and it’s gotten progressively worse recently. 

I live in a house that’s meters haven’t been checked, inspected, whatever since at least 1993.  I have two meters - one for my storage heaters and water tank, and one for standard electricity.  I’ve been trying to get this changed to either a smart meter if available OR just a standard single meter with a day or night rate. 

I have email chain(s) going on with SSE/OVO (One email chain is using @sseenergyservices.com and the other is @ovo.com hence posting here) that I seem to just be going around in circles.  I finally got through to the Electric Heating Team (EHT) about two weeks ago who changed me onto a single rate THTC tarrif, so both my standard and heating meters are at the same rate - but based on the readings that I’ve been providing, it’s still nearly 500 a month just for two storage heaters and a water tank.

Has anyone else had problems being switched to a single meter?  It’s driving me insane and I can’t change providers even if I wanted to because I’m currently bent over a barrel with an old meter system that they won’t change that no one else supports.

 

Edit: Just to add, it’s Radio Teleswitch Total Heat Total Control (THTC) to be specific.

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Best answer by Blastoise186 27 February 2023, 13:08

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Blastoise186
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Hiya!

Could you show us the meters too? It may help us with our advice. :)

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lyeuhm
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Hiya!

Could you show us the meters too? It may help us with our advice. :)

Hopefully these are good enough, it’s in a bit of an awkward area for photos!

 

Blastoise186
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Perfecto!

Give me about an hour. I’m checking my resources for this and I’ll post here again when I’m ready.

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lyeuhm
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Perfecto!

Give me about an hour. I’m checking my resources for this and I’ll post here again when I’m ready.

Thanks buddy.  Just to say as well, the black meter rolled over to 00000 at the start of Feb, so the fact it’s already at 1069 is very worrying…😅

Blastoise186
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Ok, I’m back. Sorry for the wait!

There is good news. I met up with one of OVO’s internal smart meter experts a few months ago and we had a long discussion about this topic. I just needed to check some public resources to see if anything new was out there in the internet.

OVO is developing a solution that’ll enable you to migrate a THTC setup to Smart Meters. That is something I can 100% confirm because I’ve seen the evidence of it myself. You’ll lose the complicated mess of wiring between several meters and go onto a single Smart Meter once the upgrade is done.

The only snag is that it’s not ready to deploy yet as things are still being worked out. But it is officially Coming Soon! Once you’ve been upgraded, you’ll be free to stick with SSE/OVO or move away if you wish, it’d be totally up to you. I wouldn’t recommend switching supplier at this time though, just to make the migration off of your current setup easier.

Once a solution is available, we’ll no doubt see something posted to the OVO Forum announcing it. Watch this space!

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lyeuhm
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Ok, I’m back. Sorry for the wait!

There is good news. I met up with one of OVO’s internal smart meter experts a few months ago and we had a long discussion about this topic. I just needed to check some public resources to see if anything new was out there in the internet.

OVO is developing a solution that’ll enable you to migrate a THTC setup to Smart Meters. That is something I can 100% confirm because I’ve seen the evidence of it myself. You’ll lose the complicated mess of wiring between several meters and go onto a single Smart Meter once the upgrade is done.

The only snag is that it’s not ready to deploy yet as things are still being worked out. But it is officially Coming Soon! Once you’ve been upgraded, you’ll be free to stick with SSE/OVO or move away if you wish, it’d be totally up to you. I wouldn’t recommend switching supplier at this time though, just to make the migration off of your current setup easier.

Once a solution is available, we’ll no doubt see something posted to the OVO Forum announcing it. Watch this space!

 

It is good to know that they are looking into something, but I have just realized I have failed to include something in my original post - I live on an island and unfortunately, Smart Meters aren’t supported here under any supplier. 

Apparently it’s an issue with the signal or something along those lines, but even when I contacted SSE about being changed to a Smart Meter they told me they couldn’t do it because of the signal/it not being supported on the Island (which is how I’ve ended up still trying to get a standard non-smart meter, otherwise I’d have happily taken one :()

Blastoise186
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Ahh ok. That’s an edge case I didn’t think of. Hmm…

Leave this with me, I think I can get some expert advice to help with your scenario.

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lyeuhm
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Ahh ok. That’s an edge case I didn’t think of. Hmm…

Leave this with me, I think I can get some expert advice to help with your scenario.


In your defense I forgot to include it!  But thank you for your help so far. 

Blastoise186
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No worries. It might take some time, but I’m hopeful that a certain someone may be able to offer advice in a way that I can’t.

In the meantime, I’ll do some background research juuuuuuuuust in case I can dig something up.

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K
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I have THTC and have been changing some of my old storage heaters to Rointe electric radiators. I’ve changed 3 so far. I’m getting a smart meter fitted next week…how will this affect my electricity. Will i still have two rates? I’m totally confused with all this!! Can someone please advise in layman’s terms? 

Blastoise186
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Hi @kmd.martin ,

This is technically an account-specific question. You need to check with the Support Team for a definitive answer.

Long story short, you’ll probably get moved to Economy 7. With that, you’ll get seven hours of Off-Peak electricity overnight, but the rest will cost more than Standard Variable outside of those times - and you’ll lose the 24/7/365 Off-Peak for anything that THTC granted it to. You may need to have an electrician do some rewiring afterwards to ensure those things keep working.

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N
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Hi Been with SSE for 30 years and now migrated over to OVO last August.

Love to know how many customers OVO / SSE have that are on Standard Electric & THTC heating (2 meters) 

No smart meters in the house. Can’t get smart meters until OVO solves the signal problem.

Just wanting to know how many customers are like me. 

 

 

 

Blastoise186
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Based on personal knowledge… I think we’re talking a few thousand or so.

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N
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I think it would be more than a few thousand. 
I googled it and it was over 100k

 

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @Noz1954,

 

I don’t know the exact figures, I’ll see if I can find out. I’d imagine a few thousand as Blastoise advised.

 

We’ve had a couple of customers on the Forum who’ve advised they have THTC set ups, would be interesting to get a conversation going. 

 

 

We’ve got an FAQ on exotic types which might have some useful information:

 

 

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Jeffus
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The last published figure I saw which was provided by SSE was 72,000

It has been used a few times in publications. They quote SSE as the source. 

https://www.changeworks.org.uk/insights/supporting-consumers-on-restricted-meters-in-northern-scotland/

Some have been replaced so be interesting to get an up to date figure. 

N
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Thanks Jeffus that sounds more like it. 
 

M
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That’s the set up I have and perfectly happy with my storage heaters so no intention of changing them.  Hope something gets sorted out soon to accommodate all in the same position.

Jeffus
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Thanks Jeffus that sounds more like it. 
 

It is quite an old number so be interesting to hear how low it is now. 

Blastoise186
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I suspect that with the  Migration project basically 99% done and with the only major task left being cleanup and shutdown related, there probably will now be more time and resources focus on other major projects.

I can definitely say “Smart THTC” is coming though.

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C
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Hi, I have THTC and am currently with Octopus. They seem to have no knowledge of the THTC system and can only offer Economy 7 as an alternative. I have tried contacting OVO about changing supplier to them but the person I spoke to on the number for new customers knew nothing about THTC. Do OVO have a complex energy team like SSE had and if so what is their phone number. Thanks

Blastoise186
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Hiya! I also replied in your other thread btw.

OVO does indeed have such a team - you can ask to be transferred to them if you call the main number 0330 303 5063.

Unfortunately, only two suppliers are known to support THTC at the moment - OVO and Scottish Power. I’m not surprised that Octopus is clueless about it as it’s not in their interest to be taking on THTC setups.

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Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @ColinRG,

 

Blastoise has already given some helpful advice here, just wanted to add, we have a topic you may find helpful:

 

 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
C
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Hi, Thanks for the number and useful link.

Unfortunately none of the people I spoke to in either the new customers team or customer services knew about an Electric Heating Team or THTC. Do you have a direct number for them?

To give you some background I have THTC and the previous owner of the house left SSE and signed up with Octypus. All heating and water is on an off peak low tariff 24/7 with the rest of the electricity used on the standard tariff. I’d be happy to stay with this were it not for the threat of the RTS signal being switched off. Octypus can only offer me Economy 7 as an alternative which will be much more expensive and (I think) require rewiring. This is why I want to talk to OVO about signing up with them as it seems they have, or will have, a better alternative.

Emmanuelle_OVO
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I’ll try and found out if OVO would take on a THTC customer at sign up @ColinRG.

 

I’m not sure if we would, I think the customers we have with THTC have been inherited from other suppliers. There isn’t yet a solution for these customers or an OVO tariff for THTC.

 

I imagine most THTC customers will be switched to Economy 7 plans and smart meters.

 

You can see all of our available plans on our Quote & Switch webpage. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.

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